J. Edmund Hughes (b. 1947) retired from the Music Faculty of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in August, 2011 after a teaching career which began in 1971. While at CGCC, he taught choir, music theory, conducting, and organized two on-campus choral festivals per year. From 1990 - 2011, he was the Director of Music at Velda Rose United Methodist Church in Mesa. Prior to his appointment at CGCC, he taught at Tucson High School, California State University-Fresno and Phoenix College. Most recently he was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA), where he directed the Chorale.

His choirs from Tucson High School, St. Paul's United Methodist Church (Tucson) Phoenix College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College have had the distinction of performing at conventions sponsored by the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA), Music Educator's National Conference (MENC) and the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA). In April 2017, he directed “Requiem” by John Rutter, in his Carnegie Hall debut.

He has also presented lectures and demonstrations on special interest sessions at ACDA and
AMEA conventions. In 2002 he received the Arizona Outstanding Choral Educator Award by
ACDA, and in 2005 he was honored as the Arizona Music Educator of the Year by AMEA. He
received the first Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the University of Arizona Choral
Music Department (December, 2011) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from AMEA
(February 2012). Most recently (2024) he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the
University of Arizona School of Music.

Dr. Hughes is a past President of Arizona ACDA (serving 3 separate terms) and has served
AMEA in numerous capacities, including ChoDA President, Regional Governor and Choral
Chairman. He frequently adjudicates choral festivals and directs honor choirs throughout the
Southwest. Dr. Hughes has over 40 choral compositions in print, which are published with Santa
Barbara Music Publishing Co., Walton Music, Pavane Publishing, and Colla Voce Music, Inc.
He received his Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate Degrees from the University of Arizona with
doctoral studies at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Hughes now lives in Eugene, OR with his wife, Carole, and their rescue dog, Bailey. He has
3 children, Brandon, Allison and Lauren and step daughter, Kirsten. His hobbies are weight
lifting, biking and jogging. In January (2010) he completed his sixth half-marathon. He remains
quite active in the choral field by adjudicating, directing honor choirs, presenting workshops,
clinics and composing.